1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fastening apparatus for a battery in a motor vehicle and to a motor vehicle having a fastening apparatus of this type. The invention can be applied to any desired vehicles but is described herein in relation to a passenger car.
2. Description of the Related Art
A motor vehicle usually has at least one battery. The battery serves, for example, to start an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle by means of an electric motor and to store electrical energy. Furthermore, numerous further electric consumers are supplied by way of the battery, such as an air conditioning compressor or a fuel pump of the motor vehicle. To satisfy the requirements with regard to the outputting and the storage of electrical energy, the battery is configured as a rechargeable lead accumulator. The electrodes of a lead accumulator are formed from lead or of lead compounds and result in a high weight for the battery. This high weight can lead to the battery being ripped loose of its anchoring due to high mass forces acting on the battery in the case of a crash of the motor vehicle. A battery that is ripped loose can cause enormous damage solely on account of its high mass. Furthermore, sulfuric acid is used as electrolyte in the battery and can severely burn vehicle occupants if it escapes from the battery. Reliable fastening of the battery therefore is indispensable and the fastening of the battery must not be ripped out of the anchoring even in the case of a crash.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,356 describes a fastening apparatus for a battery in a vehicle, in which the battery is arranged in a trough-shaped battery carrier and the battery is fastened by means of a flexible but substantially inextensible lashing strap that encloses both the battery and the battery carrier. The lashing strap has a buckle so that the lashing strap can be closed around the battery and the battery carrier. However, the lashing strap disadvantageously cannot be loaded with a prestress, and releasing or at least loosening of the lashing strap can occur, for example, as a result of vibrations in an engine compartment of the vehicle. Thus, a safe fastening of the battery with respect to crashes is not ensured.
JP 2004362826 A describes a fastening apparatus for a battery having a battery carrier that encloses a base region of the battery and has a clamping means in the form of an extensible clamping belt. Metal eyelets are disposed at the ends of the clamping belt and are connected operatively to corresponding engagement sections on opposite side faces of the battery carrier. The extensible clamping belt is guided over an upper side of the battery and fixes the battery nonpositively in the battery carrier. The clamping belt is stretched during mounting and the metal eyelets are clipped into the engagement sections of the battery carrier. The clamping belt is formed from an extensible material that is under a prestress after mounting to ensure a reliable initial holding of the battery. However, this solution has proven disadvantageous in that the prestress generated in the clamping belt ultimately is determined only by the material properties of the clamping belt and therefore can decrease, for example, as a result of material fatigue or as a result of damage to the material, for example by contact with fuel. Furthermore, there is no assurance that the extensible clamping belt will hold the battery reliably in the desired position if subjected to very great mechanical loadings, for example, in the case of a crash of the vehicle. More particularly, a compromise has to be made in the design of the wall thickness of the clamping belt and the material used between simple mounting ability and achievable prestress in the clamping belt. Safe fastening of the battery with respect to crashes to facilitate initial mounting.
The invention therefore is based on the object of providing an improved fastening apparatus for a battery that does not have the abovementioned disadvantages.